


Resurgence

by Lizzy460



Category: Alien vs Predator (2004), Aliens vs Predators Series - Various Authors, Predators (2010), The Predator (2018)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Forced Marriage, Human/Yautja - Freeform, Other, Political Alliances, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, human female/yautja male - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-12-28 22:01:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21143906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzy460/pseuds/Lizzy460
Summary: A human colony finds itself stranded on a new world with no way to contact the outside or go home due to a massive EMP of unknown origin. They were left on this planet for one hundred years and eighty years ago a Yautja clanship found a similar issue leaving them stranded together. Both sides decided to create an alliance to ensure mutual survival. Now, years have passed, and Elise Williams has to survive a new political marriage to an alien she hates with every ounce of her being, on top of trying to find a rescue for her people to leave the only home she's ever known.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter one is just the background info, the characters will be introduced next chapter. This is my first fanfic in YEARS. There's not enough fanfiction in this fandom so I thought I should add. Comments and kudos keep me inspired to keep going. I'll try to update a few times a week at least. <3
> 
> Thanks to my fiance for the editing.

Well over one hundred years ago, humanity learned space flight, shortly after, they began to colonize the galaxy. Splitting up into clan-based societies, ships were sent out to locations deemed suitable for human life. One of these ships, the GSS 37 (Galactic Spaceship 37), was sent out under the orders of the Galactic Space Faring and Colonizing Organization (GSFCO) to colonize a rather large green planet that orbited a trinary star system in the Norma Arm of our beautiful Milky Way Galaxy. The planet was deemed Epsilon Arcadia 5, and the star system was named Epsilon Arcadia, but those traveling to the planet nicknamed it “Big Green” after the vast and lush green jungles and tropical forests that covered most of the planet’s land. The planet had evidence of intelligent life living there many eons ago, as ruins littered the place beneath the lush jungles and dense forests. Alien life forms, similar to that of Earth’s animals, dwell on the planet, making it a perfect place for human colonization. The humans settled into their new home without a problem, finding the local fauna editable and similar to that of Earth’s. Though the animals were foreign, they posed no threat to the colonists. All was going well as the lead scientist, Shauna Pierce, was able to carbon date the civilization on the planet back to before man even walked on the earth on two legs. She got the honor to name this unknown race the Prometheans, which are still dubbed that even to this day. Shortly after releasing the information she had gathered, a massive EMP wave of unknown origin struck the settlement, rendering them back to the stone age and no way to call for help or return to Earth. 

The human colony fell into chaos.

Factions began to rise with different political opinions on how to handle this new issue. Others began to become fearful of the unknown, so much so, raids started, murders began, fear-mongering became commonplace. To ease the concerns and suffering of their people, two leaders stepped up to reform the government. Shauna Pierce and Elijah Williams formed a monarchy type system. Shauna, being the head scientist, and Elijah heading the expedition, formed a union that pulled their society out of chaos, though not everyone was satisfied.  
The colony quickly began to fix the issue the EMP caused on their technology, but a year later, at the same time, another mass EMP shot through their system, reverting all their technology back. It was time to send out scouts to find out the location of where this EMP came from, but none of the scouts returned. The final scouting party that left, only one came back, and he told stories about horrible monsters that towered over the trees far in the distance. Descriptions of these beasts were similar to that of creatures that were found in the Mesozoic era on Earth: essentially, dinosaurs. The dense forest the colony rested in was too thick for the larger creatures to pass through and the flora of the area was found to be mechanically engineered to repel the beasts so they wouldn’t come close. A useful item, but they quickly found the plants didn’t help much when dead or in small numbers against the beast. All reports claimed these giant creatures only avoided the forest and remained in their jungles, but that made expanding much harder. 

Humanity was no longer the apex predator.

Eighty years ago, on the day of another mass EMP, the world came crashing down once again. A large alien spacecraft on the outskirts of the planet was shot by the EMP, causing the aliens to leave it behind to crash to the planet below safely. To save this large planet, the aliens destroyed their mothership, only allowing parts of it to crash into the planet below. This did not go unseen by the humans.  
That night, the sky lit up like New Year's eve. Every human looked to the skies to see the chaos unfold as alien ships fell to the planet below and debris of a larger craft came down and caused an earthquake after earthquake. These strange alien creatures found themselves in the same issue as the humans. Leaders of both humans and aliens met after a period of strife between their people. Both were unable to return home or send for help, and both decided the enemy of my enemy is my friend. These aliens became known as Yautjas.  
The crash left their colony destroyed, having lost many of their people. Both groups were still on constant strife, but the leaders remained strong and became relatively close friends. These humans became to adopt their way of life to a degree, becoming hunters themselves, but not to the degree the Yautjas were, but some humans earned respect from these xenophobic aliens.  
But pushing past the forest and into the jungle still posed a threat, even with their new allies. Their technology was also destroyed and rendered obsolete.  
Strife continued, and it looked like both species wouldn’t find a way off this damned planet and neither could build their technology back up fast enough to even send out a distress signal.

The fragile alliance between both species began to grow uneasy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thanks to my fiance for editing and proofreading
> 
> Kudos and comments keep me inspired <3

Dewdrop mornings and crystalline skies of evening showers, those were only two things of many that Elise lived to see every day. Born on this strange planet with no knowledge of what lies outside or the technology the humans once possessed, this world, this “Big Green” planet is all she knows, all she calls home.  
Her room was always drafty, that’s how she liked it. The humid air tickling her pale skin, the chilled air was her alarm clock, waking up to it each morning. She found a suitable home in the highest tower of these old ruins her colony has called home for the past one hundred years. Her mother, her mother’s mother, and their mothers before them had all lived in this room, overlooking the jungles and forests and seeing past the tropical foundation that she came to admire most.  
But today, instead of the frigid air waking her up, a knock did instead. She was jolted awake to a guard asking her to meet her father in the throne room at the ground level of their complex. With a heavy groan, she stood to her feet and began to get dressed.  
Elise might be “royalty” in the eyes of her people, but royalty around here never meant adorning heavy makeup and fancy gems. Here, royalty meant simply that you are expected to be the future of the clan. Her clothing was plain, normal, nothing too special. Long pants and a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of combat boots for trekking through the forest. She sat at her vanity and pulled her long golden hair up into a bun as she examined her face, only to let her wavy hair fall back down before grabbing a scrunchie and tying it into a neat ponytail. She rubbed her face, attempting to wake herself up as she stared into the slightly broken old mirror of her great grandmother’s.  
With a yawn, she decided she was suitable enough to visit her father. With a stretch of her arms, she bid her cold room goodbye and made her way down the long stairwell leading to the front corridor. Eventually, she got to the throne room where not just her father’s chair rested, but another. Her father’s chair was a simple comfy seat made of red cloth, but the Yautja’s purely of bones and skulls, nothing else. It was a bit menacing to look at, especially since some of those bones were human.  
The moment she stepped through the foyer to the throne room, she could feel the air around her sink which caused her to throw a worried glance around the room. She didn’t even have to look hard to see why her nerves got the best of her. Across the room, near the throne of the Yautja clan leader, stood the one being in this whole universe she despised the most. A Yautja Enforcer that was known as Apex among the community, though she knew him more as Pa’ku, or Asshole. Despite their masks no longer working, the Yautja still wore them, so she never really got to see his face, but she knew it was just as ugly as the rest of his kind.  
She sneered as she saw him with his arms crossed standing next to his father, the Yautja Clan leader. He had light brown skin with black and red spots around the back and side of his scaly body. He stood at a large and imposing seven-foot five compared to her own five-foot three stature. He never faltered from making her feel uncomfortable by just existing in the same room as her, but she never gave him the gratification of letting him know just how much he scared her.  
“Father,” she greeted, attempting to ignore the elephant in the room.  
“My beautiful daughter, you’re finally awake. I have important news I wish to share with you.” Her father was an older man, closing in on old age with gray hairs and a clean-shaven face. Ever since her mother died, his hair continued to rapidly grow greyer. With the stress of raising his children alone and ruling his people without his beloved wife beside him quickly made this man appear far older than fifty.  
“What is it?” she asked, giving a cautious glance at her rival across the room.  
“As you know, the strife between our people and the Yautjas grow even hotter now. We have been able to live in peace for the past eighty years but we both fear war will break out. We don’t wish for either side to get hurt and we seek to leave this planet together. But you know all this already.” He said, glancing over at the clan leader to his left. “The situation between the two clans has become dire. A human child recently was murdered by a Yautja bad blood. Though the Yautja was dealt with and killed, the humans wish for more, they wish for all of them to die.” But if war broke out, Elise and her father knew the humans wouldn’t stand a chance. It would be suicide to cause a war with them. “That’s why, to ease our people’s concerns, we have decided to invoke an old human tradition, one we haven’t used in hundreds of years.”  
This caused Elise to tilt her head slightly as she listened to her father, not sure what he meant by this old tradition. She noticed that Pa’ku also had a similar response, it seems he was in the dark as well.  
“To ease both clan’s concerns and form a steady alliance, you are to marry Pa’ku and rule together when we,” he gestured to the Yautja Clan leader, “are both gone.”  
“What?!” cried Elise.  
Pa’ku growled hearing this, instantly turning to face his own father to begin speaking in a language she didn’t understand, likely arguing over the decision.  
“I will not!” Elise shouted in disbelief. Pa’ku bullied her since she was a child. Yautja live far longer than humans and Pa’ku had been an adult since the day he landed here. He knew her grandmother, Shauna Williams, and from what she heard, they were friends and seemed to highly respect one another. Pa’ku seemed to enjoy tormenting Elise since she could walk, which caused an unsteady relationship between the two. She never knew why he treated her the way he did, but she never cared. He would always belittle her, insult her, say she’s not a worthy hunter. Though their society has adopted some of the Yautja way’s, not every human is a hunter, Elise isn’t, she’s a scientist, but she always wanted to prove herself. Every duel she’s ever had with Pa’ku, she lost within seconds. Yet she keeps trying, always wanting to prove something. And Pa’ku hated that. He hated her persistence, her stubborn will to continue, her need to prove something.  
“You will. And you will not question me. This is the best way to bring both our people together for once.” Her father said, his tone of voice rising as he spoke.  
“We can’t even have children together. How can I continue your line?” she said, grasping at straws to find a way out of this.  
“We believe we have found a way around that actually. But if that doesn’t work, an election can be held or the strongest may continue the line just like the Yautja does.”  
She scoffed at the notion he was putting forth. Her? Marry a man she hates? Let alone an alien! Her father knows full well she is interested in another, a man she’s been courting for some time now, Neil, a fellow scientist just like herself. Recently, she thought she might actually be falling in love with him. He was gentle, smart, kind, caring, everything she adored in a person and he was passionate about their work trying to uncover the location of the EMP and record findings of the artifacts from lost civilizations the Yautja hunters bring back from their hunts.  
Pa’ku by this point finished arguing with his father and stormed out of the meeting room. Honestly, she didn’t blame him, she wanted to run away and cry herself, but she didn’t want to show that kind of weakness in front of her father or the Yautja Clan leader.  
“Your job now is to ease the concerns of our people, make them understand the Yautjas better and see that they are not the monsters they think they are. One bad drop of water doesn’t ruin the entire pool,” her father said.  
Elise could only simply nod, doing her best to hold back tears and frustration. There was nothing she could do to get out of this and protesting in front of the two most powerful men in the colony wouldn’t look good.  
“You are dismissed.” Elise nodded once more before looking over at the Yautja Clan leader. He was watching her closely. Dressed in bones with long dreadlock like appendages hanging far down his shoulders and resting around the middle of his chest. He was covered in scars, so much so that it simply looked like his skin was naturally a different texture. He was far more menacing, not just because of his looks, but because he was the strongest person in the entire colony, even more so than Pa’ku. His yellow eyes stared daggers into Elise’s soul and his eyes could tell a story in of itself. His heavy gaze never left as she left the room. She could still feel his eyes even as she was far out of the room. He was judging her, weighing her heavily, wondering if Elise was good enough for his heir, wondering if this deal was worth it.  
Elise ran back to her room in a burst of frustration. So many emotions mixed within her, she’s never felt so conflicted in her entire life. “Mother... what do I do?” she asked into the distance, calling out to her deceased mother.  
After a few minutes of pacing and being far too frustrated to even cry, she peered out at her window. Vast miles of green was all she could see, save for one tower far into the distance that was overrun by the jungle. Nature always wins in the end it seems.  
She opened the bedroom window and began to climb onto a thin ledge in front of her window. Slowly she turned around to grab a small ledge above her window to pull herself up. She used the sides of her window to help push her up using her feet. Once she was able to ridge a stone ledge she began to slowly hoist herself up to the roof. This was her favorite spot in all of the colony, it had the best views. Finally, her feet landed on the roof where she kept her favorite things in a little chest.  
Here is her quiet place, her home away from home. No one could bother her here.

____________________________________________________________________________

Pa’ku stood in the throne room, his arms crossed, watching as he always does as a small little human walked in. Thanks to human scientists, they found a way to biochemically alter the vision of Yautjas. He was able to see this tiny human the way she saw him. Though his thermal vision was not lost and the effects of the drug were only temporary. Without their masks working, it would be rather hard to survive with low quality thermal vision alone, and even harder to hunt. This drug allows them to shift between the two fields of view on will, it’s a marval really, but his mask could do more when it wasn’t destroyed by an EMP.  
His yellow eyes set on the small human that he grew to despise over her life, watching her small movements as she made her way into the room. He noted her wary glances towards him, suspicious of him being there, but in all truths, he had no idea why he was summoned by his own father either. He just knew this pathetic human kept him waiting.  
He listened to what her father had to say, and it was all true. A bad blood broke the honor code and murdered a child which meant that Pa’ku had to deal with the beast himself, and that he did, swiftly. He was the best enforcer in the clan due to his strength and prowess, no one had ever defeated him in battle. Back when he went on regular hunts, he was known for his ability to take out numerous xenomorphs in one go, even having the honor of killing not one or two xeno queens, but three. Normal hunts slowly began to grow a little boring to him with his guaranteed survival in each, so he became an enforcer, taking on the deadliest things in the universe, his own kind. Those hunts left him with far more scars than the other hunts could, though he’d be lying if he didn’t miss the old hunts against xenos and humans and other worthy prey.  
He was pulled out of his thoughts as the human clan leader made mention of an arranged marriage with him. Disbelief clouded his own face as he turned to face his father, directing his anger and confusing towards him as he began to speak in their native tongue.  
“You are not serious, Father!” he shouted, a growl following him as he stared daggers at his father through his mask.  
“This is the best course of action to preserve the balance between both our clans.”  
“She is an ooman! She is not worthy nor fit to be my mate! She can’t even bare any of our children!”  
“The ooman scientists believe they have solved that problem. Besides, you have given us many children through your life, many of which have passed their chivas. You should be honored by the children you have gifted the clan. Now, you must do another favor for the clan by taking this ooman as your mate.”  
“I will not take an ooman mate!” He growled, glancing over at Elise who was still bickering with her own father on the matter.  
His father stood up from his chair and let out a loud growl at Pa’ku’s arguing. “You can and you will. And you will take only her as your mate, as that is custom among the oomans. You will make her happy and thus her clan happy and end this petty rivalry so we can finally find a way off this planet.” Elise didn’t seem to notice the growl, too enthralled with her own argument to even glance to the others at her side. “Besides,” his father began to speak again, sitting back down in his chair, “oomans die far before our kind. You will only have to make her happy till she dies in a few years.”  
“I have wasted eighty years of my life on this planet and you wish for me to waste even more with a weakling like her?!” Pa’ku shouted back.  
“I expect you to do what is best for the clan. Soon you will sit where I am. I am old, and it is time I go on one last hunt and die with honor, and when that happens, you will take my place. I am done arguing with you. You will do what I say.”  
Pa’ku let out one final growl before marching away, leaving the throne room behind.  
He soon stormed over to his own room where he began to think things over. To become mated to a human? It was disgraceful. He was a proud hunter, but his father had a point. Hostilities between the two are strong, and this could possibly lead to a form of peace between the two groups. How long would it be for anyways? Sixty years? Maybe he could bring her on his hunts he could end it much sooner.  
He gathered his thoughts with a low grunt. I have to make this pathetic ooman happy. And that was exactly what he was going to do, or, well, try. He turned around and left his room and began to march his way to the human’s. He attempted to knock on the door, growling at his own thoughts, hoping she wouldn’t respond so he could go back.  
And she didn’t respond.  
Relieved, he turned to walk away, but found himself taking only a few steps before turning back around. What the pauk am I doing? With a grumble at his thoughts, he attempted to open the little human’s door. Seems she left it unlocked as he easily gained access. He scanned the room and realized the window was wide open. His mind quickly traveled to the worst possibility. He rushed over to the window and looked out, looking for any signs of a body below, but he saw none. Quickly, the sound of soft movements on the roof gained his attention. With a groan and a sigh he pushed himself out of the window and quickly climbed to the roof with ease.  
There she was, her back turned as she looked through a chest full of useless trinkets. He could turn back now, pretend he was never here. His father would be angry if he put no effort into his command, even more so than he already is at Pa’ku’s protests.  
Elise hasn’t even noticed him as she began to hum what sounded to be a little lullaby as she removed an old doll from the chest. The doll was horribly old, weathered and beaten. She grew stiff as she heard a growl behind her.  
“Stop that,” Pa’ku said.  
“Humming?” She asked, slowly turning her head around to see him towering over her, his long dreads falling far passed his shoulders.  
“It’s annoying.”  
His hostile voice began to step on what last nerve Elise had for this man. “Why did you come here? To insult me? Start a fight with me? This is my quiet place.” She placed the old doll back in the chest and turned around after closing the lid. She was so small compared to him, she barely came up to his chest. But despite their massive size difference, she stood her ground and didn’t flinch at how close he was to her.  
He growled, looking away from her. Why was he here? He wanted to make his father happy by making this little human smile. “I want to be clear on the new order our fathers have given us. You will be my mate, like it or not. You will ease the tension your oomans have and I will ease the tension my own people have. You will do your duty as a mate and have my children if you are capable. And I will make you happy.”  
The last part would’ve been sweet if it didn’t sound like a threat. “That sounded like a threat,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.  
With a low growl, Pa’ku leaned down to get closer to her height. “Maybe it is.” He couldn’t be nice to this human, she didn’t earn his respect, she is not his equal. Be with a human and be faithful to them alone? It’s unheard of in Yautja society, and he would not have it. Unless...  
Elise growled lowly at his threat, partly ready to start throwing hands knowing full-well she would lose again in the end. She opened her mouth to speak as Pa’ku began to turn his back towards her to leave, but he spoke before she could utter another word. “You are not worthy to be my mate, I will change that.” His people would not even open up to the idea of respecting her if she was not blooded. If he was going to be with a human, she must at least be his equal, for him and for his people.  
His words caught Elise off guard, he was offering to train her, something she never expected. He left before she could protest or say anything in response. Was this his strange way of showing kindness? No, she didn’t think it was, he was doing it for his own pride.  
Tomorrow, he will have to find a way to make her blooded with what game they have on the planet. He would have to make due with what they had. After they got off this planet, if she was still alive, he would bring her on her own chiva, if she survived that long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pauk = Fuck  
Ooman = Human  
Chiva = Trial (usually used to refer to their rite of passage into adulthood)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changed the format so it's easier to read since my format on google docs doesn't translate well to here, at least in my opinion.
> 
> Again thank you to my fiance for the proofreading.

There were no breaks on Big Green for the colony. Scientists worked endlessly every day, as did the doctors. Every bright mind worked from sunrise to sunset in efforts to continue the well being of the colony for both species. Today was the deadline for the official release of new biochemicals for the Yautja hunters she had been working on.

Her morning routines were precise and delicate: Wake up, get dressed, brush her hair, eat breakfast, go to the lab, come home, eat dinner, sleep, repeat. Sometimes this sacred routine was roused, such as yesterday’s events of being informed who her new fiance will be. But today, she was sure to have her routine.

After eating breakfast she quickly made her way to the lab, sure to get everything back on track since yesterday’s interruption. Upon walking into the old stone walls that marked the entry to the lab, she grabbed her white lab coat and safety goggles and made her way into the busy area. Quickly she was greeted by few of her coworkers that could stand a few seconds to look up from their work to acknowledge her. Greeting them back she made to her desk towards the back. No scientist had special rooms, as no one could afford giving up precious space when space was already limited, but some scientists had their own tables where their work would safely sit.

She unboxed her items from a shelf under her desk and carefully took out the new chemicals and began to very carefully place them in syringes.

“They’ve been properly tested, though there are important side effects to note. The Yautjas should not inject themselves with more than two of the chemicals at a time or they may experience heart attack like symptoms,” a familiar voice called out.

Elise turned around to see a welcoming face. A darker skinned man with short black hair, grey eyes, and thick rectangular glasses stood behind her. The man wore stubble which threatened to grow into a full beard if not kept and stood at six feet tall, towering over Elise. His body was toned, enough to show he kept in shape but was no fighter, and perhaps the most important feature to Elise, he had a killer smile.

“Neil!” she exclaimed, “you startled me. I didn’t see you when I entered.”

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, giving her that smile that always seemed to melt her heart. “Did you hear about the new reports from the Yautja hunters?”

“New reports? No, I didn’t.”

Neil’s smile began to grow into one of childlike wonder as he began to speak. “The Yautjas managed to get to that tower you love to talk about so much. Though as we feared, getting there is even dangerous for those hunters. They faced off large creatures that spit acid. They resemble what we know as a T-Rex, though much larger and with fin like spines on their back. The hunters managed to kill one and bring back the skull as a trophy. They also managed to gather tissue samples for us. I’m currently looking over it and I’ll tell you what I find.”

“Really? They managed to get all the way out there? Good, turns out our chemical replacements are working for them. Speaking of which, I am supposed to unveil this little gadget today to help with their sight and lack of cloaking technology. Soon all the hunters will have them for their hunts.” She said as she turned back around to continue setting up the first belt with syringes.

It was then that Neil placed a kiss on her forehead that made Elise’s gut sink. “I’ll talk to you soon then,” he said with that same killer smile, but it only Elise feel worse. She hadn't told him the news yet.

“Neil, I need to talk to you later about something unrelated to work,” she tried to give him her best smile to make him not worry, but of course, that only made her feel worse as Neil smiled back with a small nod before walking off.

She liked Neil, a lot, and it would kill her to break the news to him. They were childhood friends and both childhood sweethearts. Neil was her best friend who always had her back, there for her when she cried, and there for her when she smiled. As kids they used to hold hands and kiss each other's cheeks, though her father hated that, but her mother always said that they were just kids, and to let them have their fun. Now they were grown up and things have changed, but feelings linger. 

Sound of bells rang off in the distance, that was her que. It was time to bring the items to the podium outside the main building where she would show them off to the colony.

She gathered her things and made her way to the front steps of the main building where she and the leaders slept. Standing at a podium she placed her box down next to her and began to look around her. All of the colony was there and to her right was Pa’ku who stood as translator for the Yautja who have yet to learn English. He seemed to stand at a distance from her, his arms crossed over his muscular chest. She cleared her throat and began to speak loudly in hopes everyone could hear.

“Today I’d like to unveil our newest project. Some of you may have heard that we are in the process of trying to replicate the Yautja technology they lost in terms of biochemistry. This planet holds unique plans that have properties we never imagined before. The local flora, we determined, is not naturally made, but made by the Promethians that resided here long before us. When injected, these chemicals will alter your vision and one will alter your body and allow you to change your skin based on the world around you, like a chameleon... Though I’m not sure if you know what that is.” She cleared her throat, realizing the Yautjas likely never saw one, though, she hasn’t either, she’s only heard of them. She let Pa’ku translate before she continued to speak. “Though injection of more than two serums at a time can cause heart attack like symptoms so it’s not recommended. Injection of more than one for humans can result in the same. Now it will take time to produce enough for all the Yautjas, but we have a team working on it now and within a week we will begin handing them out to our hunters first.”

After she had finished speaking, she handed the box to Pa’ku. “Bring this to your father, he will be the first to have this.” She left quickly before he could respond, though as she walked away, she did hear a small grunt come from him. She quickly made her way back to the lab as the crowd began to talk about what they had just heard.

After walking back to the lab, Elise went straight towards Neil. “How goes the tissue samples?”

“Still working on it, might take me a bit longer than expected. How was the speech?”

“Everyone seemed happy enough.” She said as she removed her gloves and placed them on the table. “Can you step outside with me? I’m about to grab something to eat and I wanted to talk to you first.”

“Sure. Lead the way.”

They both walked outside the lab, shutting the doors behind them and moving a little ways away from the door so their conversation was a bit more private. The hallway was empty, during this hour, people tend to be at work or eating, so they have a mostly private spot to themselves.

“I don’t know how to say this, but yesterday my father called me to the court to inform me of his latest plan.” She paused, looking off to the side, not being able to look directly at him.

“You can tell me anything, Elise, go on.” His voice was calming to her and gave her the push she needed to break the news to him.

“My father has arranged a marriage between me and Pa’ku.”

Silence struck both of them as Neil’s jaw dropped at her words. He found it hard to accept what she said as questions raged through his mind. “What? Is that why he had me work on that serum?” he asked with a scoff, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re the one trying to create the serum that allows our kind to breed?” Disbelief clouded her face.

“Your father asked me to, said it would bring us together. But I- You’re okay with this?” He asked as his voice began to raise, growing more frustrated by the news.

“No! Not at all. I tried to fight my father over it, but both him and the Yautja leader agreed to it. It’s my duty to do this, even if I don’t want to.”

“Screw duty! Your father doesn’t have a right to do this to you!”

“You’re right, but what’s done is done and I cannot go against his wishes.”

A silence became between the two of them for what felt like an eternity, but Neil broke it with a sigh. “What now? What about us?”

“I’m sorry...” was all she could muster as tears threatened to break through once more. But Neil didn’t say anything else, he just went back to the lab without another word or even a frustrated sigh.

Left to her own, Elise decided to go to the kitchen, even though now she was anything but hungry. The kitchen wasn’t too far, just down the hallway from the stairwell to her room. It didn’t take her long to get there at all, though by now it was past lunchtime and there were likely only snacks left over. 

A familiar voice left her dead in her tracks as she neared the foyer of the kitchen. He was talking to someone. She didn’t dare turn the corner in case they saw, but it sounded like a female. She was no expert in the Yautja language but she was able to make out a few words. Her great grandmother, Shauna, kept a journal of translated words that she had studied, but hearing it is a lot different from reading it. They were speaking about hunting. Apparently this female was the one that took down the beast in the jungle and brought back the skull and tissue samples. A smile came to Elise’s face, wanting to thank her for getting those much needed samples.

“You are a great warrior yourself, Apex,” the female said, referring to his title rather than name. 

“I miss the hunt sometimes. Bad Bloods are a challenge themselves, but the sting of hard meat blood is one I find myself often missing from time to time.” Pa’ku replied. The word hard meat gave Elise a pause. Xenomorphs, black serpents, she remembered. It’s their favorite thing to hunt and are used in their chivas every one hundred years.

“I can show you another hunt I’m sure you’ve also missed. You’ll have to show me your trophies first though.”

A low purr came from Pa’ku after the female spoke. Elise knew enough about Yautjas to know what the female ment. She wanted to mate with Pa’ku. Something in her chest sank and she became frozen. Then, something hit her hard and she turned around and walked quickly away, making sure she wasn’t loud enough for them to hear. She had no idea why her body reacted the way it did. Was she jealous? At this point she didn’t care, all she knew was that she had to get away. She soon came to the stairwell that led to her room and right next to it was Neil walking down.

“Elise, I-” He began to speak before being cut off by Elise grabbing him and pushing him up against the wall. If Pa’ku can be with others when he’s supposed to be with her, she can too. She quickly pressed her lips against his. Neil, though surprised, didn’t protest. His hands slowly moved down her hands and found themselves cupped around her rear, squeezing lightly as Elise kept a death grip on his shirt though their messy kiss.

She would not be forced into a loveless marriage with a beast she hated. She would not be forced away from the man she had only just started to fall in love with. In this moment, she felt like nothing could stop her from her goal to be with Neil. Until she felt his lips part.

An inhuman growl and the departure of Neil pulled Elise from her thoughts. It was Pa’ku. He had grabbed Neil by his throat and slammed him into the wall behind them. Neil was struggling to breath as Pa’ku growled deeply at him, his face getting close to Neil’s as his hand tightened around his throat.

“Pa’ku no!” Elise shouted, getting the Yautja’s attention

“I do not know how you oomans do it, but we expect our females to remain faithful.” Though he was not yelling, his turn voice sent chills down her spine. It scared her, she’s never seen Pa’ku like this before.

“I heard you in there with that woman! You expect me to be faithful when you are not? We’re not even married yet!”

“If you heard me, stupid ooman, then you’d know we were speaking about her last hunt.”

“You forget that Shauna recorded your language! I understood enough to know her intentions with you!”

The moment Shauna’s name was mentioned, Pa’ku lightened his grip on Neil, soon letting him go, but his rage did not leave. Neil fell to the ground, rubbing his throat as he looked up at Pa’ku with a terrified expression.

“And I said no, stupid ooman. The idea excites me, yes, but I thought of you and the promise I was forced to make. I am honorable, I expect you to be as well. I will forgive this transgression this one time, only because we are not mates and only because you have not started your lessons but if it happens again, your little friend will get more than a sore throat.” Elise had never felt so glad that Pa’ku was wearing a mask, she did not want to see the anger on his face. She didn’t have time to protest before Pa’ku stormed off to his room, not even looking behind. 

Elise fell to her knees to help Neil. “Jesus, Neil, are you okay?” she asked, trying to get a good look at his throat which quickly began to grow red as he coughed to regain him breath.

“Fiance?” he asked.

“Sadly.”

“Seems like a nice guy.” His words caused Elise to roll her eyes at him and pull him from the ground.

“I’ll take you to my room to help you recover.” But Neil didn’t come with her once she tried to pull his arm.

“No, it’s best I get to my own room. I don’t want another angry Yautja on me.” His words caused Elise to frown, but Neil as usual had his smile on his face. “But I’ll find you again soon. I came to tell you that I won’t give up on you so easily.” He said as he turned to walk down the hall to his room. Elise tried to stop him, knowing full well if he gained Pa’ku’s ire again he would not survive. But the idiot needed his rest, she’d have to tell him when he was recovered.

Not much work done today, but Elise needed to cool down from that explosion, so she went to her quiet place upon her room. There she sat, watching the strange birds fly around in the air over the trees, watching the clouds roll by and block out the burning suns. There were only two seasons on this planet, spring and summer. She has never felt snow on her skin or the soft autumn breeze, no person here has. Spring was just a cooled down summer really, nothing like what Earth experienced according to Shauna. She longed to see Earth, the place where her great grandmother called home. Thinking about her, she turned to her chest to open it up. Under old trinkets and little toys she called treasure, was a picture torn in half. She was told this was Elijah, her great grandfather, but no one has seen the other half since Shauna died. Elise assumed the other side was a picture of Shauna herself and it would be wonderful to see what she looked like, as she had never seen her before.

As she thought about the picture, a frown formed on her face. Pa’ku entered her mind. He was friends with her, yet he hated every woman in her family line that came after. She folded the picture and placed it in her coat pocket. It may gain his ire once more, but she has so many questions, and after how he reacted when she said his name, Elise thinks he may have the answers.


End file.
